Automatic train-controll device.



w. HEnGEs. AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL DEVICE.

I v APPLIYCATION FlLED APR. 22. 191B- 1,289,757.

Patented Deo. 31, 1918.

, UNITED sTAtlEs PATENT oEEIcE.

ISAAC HEDGES, or QUINCY, oHIo, AssIeiiroR oF ONE-HALF To E. F. rumene,Aor

SIDNEY, oHIo.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN -CONTROL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 31, 191s.

Application filed April 22, 1918. Serial No. 229,979.

improvements inl automatic train control devices and has for itsprincipal object to provide a device of the above-stated character whichembodies train carried mechanism adapted to be automatically operated bysuitable track tripping means operated in connection with the semaphorearms of the block signaling system arranged at opposite sides of a blocktower and this track tripping means is adapted to be set by an opeiatorwithin the block tower to automatically actuate the train carriedmechanism toA sto the train should th'e engineer for some unknown.reason run past a danger displayed semaphore arm.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide train carried mechanismembodying means for automatically releasing and actuating the throttlevalve and the air brake valve to cut oif the motive force of the engineandapply the brakes to the train.

A still further 'object of the invention is to improve and simplifydevices of the above-stated character so as to be cheap and inexpensiveto manufacture, reliable and different seasons of the year.

With these andv other objects in View as will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention comprises the 'various novel features ofconstruction, combination and ar rangement of parts as will be morefully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in theappended claims.

Referring to the drawings, y

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the rear end portion of alocomotive showing the mechanism for automatically releasing andactuating the throttle valve 'and the air brake valve.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the. rear end ofthe locomotive cab.

Fig 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 8 ofFig. 1.

.Fig 1 is a plan view of the track tripping means arranged ininoperative position, and

Fig. 5 'is a detail plan View of one and of the actuating link of theair brake valve and its connection with the latter.

Similar characters of reference are used to denote correspondin partsthroughout the accompanying drawings and the following description.

Referring more particularly to the draw' ings, the reference numeral 1represents a fluid pressure cylinder which in this instance is designedto be operated by steam taken from the steam .boiler 2 of thelocomotive. The boiler 2 is provided with an outlet opening 3 whichcommunicates with an inlet opening 4 communicating with the interior ofthe fluid pressure cylinder at one .end thereof, this inlet port 4Cbeing controlled by a slide valve 5 which hasconnected to it anactuating stem 6 that is slidably disposed through a boss or eXtension7, the outer end of this boss being provided with a packing gland 8 toprevent leakage of steam or fluid pressure. The inner end of the valve 5is beveled to fit a corresponding recess in the inner wall of the port 4and when the valve is en aged Within this recess, it will prevent learage of the fluid pressure past it.

The outer end ofthe stein 6 is slidably mounted through agiiide 9 andhas con nected to it an actuating rod 10 that is slid alily mountedthrough bearings 11 andl12. A collar 13 is adjustably mounted upon thevalve rod 10 and arranged upon the valve rod between this .adjustingcollar and the bracket 11 is an expansion spring 14, Whie' normallyexerts its tension against the coll 13 to hold and maintain the valve 5in closed position.

Mounted transversely ofthe engine frame at a suitable point is a rockshaft 15 to the outer end of which is fixed a trip arm 16, while fiedupon the shaft 15 inuermost of the trip arni 16 is a laterallyprojecting arm 17 which has its outer end slotted, as indicated by thenumeral 18. A connecting link 19 has its lowei' eii'l pivotallyconnected t0 the arm 17 and through the slot. 1.8, while' the upper endis provided with a lateral apertured extension 20 for the reception ofthe lower end of the valve actuatingrod 10,

andthis valvel rod l10 is provided with ,a' `retaining nut 21 whichnormally bears against theunder surface of the lateral extension 20. Bythe provision of this connection between the valve rod 10 and the link`19, it will be apparent that shouldv the engine. back up and the trip.arm 16 be actuated so as to move the link 19 upwardly, 2 the latterwill simply slide upwardly. upon the valve rod 10 and in no way atleetthe actuation of the valve 5. However, when the `trip arm 16 is actuatedwhile thetrainis moving forward, the link 19 will bear against the nut21 and pull the valve rod 10 downwardly and open the valve 5.

The stem 6 attached to the valve 5 is pro-- vided with `a shoulder 22which, whenthe valve is opened, is ada ted to automatically engagebehind the shoul er 23 of the pivotallymounted latch 241, which latteris pressed' upwardly and held in engagement with tho shoulder 22throughthe medium of a spring 25. From this construction, it will be'apparent that when the valve v5 is .o ened,`1t' will be automaticallyretained int is position until tripped' orffr'elea'sedby mechanism whichwill be presently described.

The fluid pressure cylinder 1 isprovided adjacent the opposite endcontaining the in let .port withan exhaust port; 26,`andar;

' ranged within the cylinder 1 is a iston head] 27 ixed upon a pistonrod 28 s ldably. disa posed throu h the op osite ends of the c linder,an fixed to t e opposite endsof 't e piston rod are arms 29 whichsupporta valve trip rod 30 and which has an enlarge! ment or camadjacent one end, as indicated Vby the numeral 31. The tri rod 30 isem'- braced by the finger 32`of t e spring laten 24 and shdably mountedtherein.

When fluid is admitted to the cylinder 1 and the piston head 27movedtoward the opposite end of the c'ylinder,the cam 31 w1l1y come intoengagement with the linger 32 and release the shoulder 23 from theshoulder 22, thus allowing the tension spring 1% 1 to close the valve 5,cutting oli the fluid pressure and subsequently allowing' the same toexhaust through the port 26.-

After the valve actuating mechanism has been once operatediand it isdesired to reset i the mechanism, I provide ymeans for releasing thea'ir lock' which would necessarily occur between the piston head 27 andthe'rear end of the cylinder 1. In order to release this 'air lock, I taa relief valve 33 into the end of the cylin er 1 andwhich will not onlyrelease the air lock but will also provide means for the escape ofany'water due to the condensation of the steam or fluid pressure withinthe cylinder. This .release valve 33 is provided with a handle 3l whichis adapted to be engaged by lugs -'projecting laterally from one side ofthe trip rod 30.

65 Immediatelyafter the valve 5 has been malibu" Aven ABLE copy closedand the, fluid pressure exhausted through the'port 26, the lug 35adjacent therear end of the trip rodl ,30 will Colne into contact withthe handle34 ind open "the valve 33, thus relieving the dead` airlockand, permittingofthe escape of the condensed steam that may happen to bepresent-After the device-has been operated andis manu-v' ally moved backto its normal osition, the 1u 35 nearest the forward endpof the tri'p75l r 30 will engage the handle 34 and close the relief Vvalve 33, 'thuspermitting thev de.- vice to be effectively operated again shouldoccasion requiref The numeral 36' represents the throttle valve lever oftheengme andembodies the. usual latch 37 operated manually from the handgri 38. A substantially right angular. bell cran lever 39 is pivotallymounted upon'A the throttle lever 36 and has onek end copnectad tothehand dium cfa-link 40.. v .A A throttle'lever actuat "ng"ba 41-hesite -lwerend piwitally connected to a fixed upport 42- and its `upperend pvotally conf' 9o nected to the reare'nd of the piston-rod' 98 asindicated b thenumeral 4 3; Onhrnxzo the bell crank ever 39 is dispoedlin the piith of movement ofrthe berlin so'that when the! piston rod 28moves forwardly thron f the at cylinder 1, 'the bar 41 willengage-l'n"--1' the bell crank 39 so as to move the rodli()` outwardly o f thethrottle' lever and'n. turn release'the latch 37 after which uponfafurther inward movement of the blr1, th e"10t throttle lever will bemoved inwnrdlyto-al closed ition, thu s cutting ofi' the motive oroe theengine. x Itis not onl .d 'rable to' eut 'oil theE tivey 'foros of eengine but alaofto cubed-'f 105 the brakesj train'and ,d y @mit .ma 45ml .t 5 being thepath` oflngeremartf" of the bari 41Y while the arm 46ja'pivbte connected'to a linwkflr., The outer-andi@ this link 47isvprovided dot 4s for 1: c reception ofthe-warn l disposed port21on-49of the fr" brake fr handle 50 carriodvby the'air brake val'lir By theprovision ofthe s1ot48, the en ne r will be able to freely operatetheairira'e valve handle independentl of the rprescrit mechanism.vThe'crank ernia 45V'and 46ers so constructedand positioned that when thebar 41 moves inwardly to close the throttle valve lever 36,. it willalso operate against the arm 45 to move the link 47 laterall until theair brake valve handle. is mov' to avpositionto lset the brakes upon thetrain.

In connection with the train carried meeh-` anism, I employ tracktripping means which, by reference to Fig. 4, will be seen t0 consist ofa trip rail 52 pivotally mounted 130 grip 38V through the l flex at itsopposite ends and at suitable intermediate placcsupon the ties of thetrack, as indicated by the numeral 53. This trip rail inclines upwardlyfromi its opposite ends to a point intermediate its ends so as to t'orn.a gradual upward incline from each end of the device toward its center.A rock shat'tis rotatzlbly mounted in the bearing` indicated at 53 andis fixed to one end of the trip -rail and to the. intermediatesupporting arm 55. This rock shaft 54 is provided with an extension arm5G to which is pivotally connected a pull rod 57, this pull rod beingconnected through suitable connections to the pull rod ordinarily usedbctween a block tower and the semaphore arms adjacent either side of it.

Therefore, it is to 4be understood that` when the man in the 'blocktower sets the semaphore arm at either side ot' the block tower atdanger, he will also simultaneously swing the trip rail 52 upwardly to avertical operative position so that should an engineer' drive his trainpast the semaphore arm without payinnr any attention to the dangersignal, the trip arm 16 will come into engagement with the trip rail andthus actuate the hereinbet'ore described mechanism to automaticallyrelease and' actuatc vthe throttle valve and the air brake valve to cut'of the engine motive t'orce and apply the 4brakes to the train, thuslbringing it to a stop.

It is also to be understood that the trip rail 5'2- is so connected tothe pull rods operating 'the semaphore arms that when the'semaphore armsare set to caution, the trip rail will not be moved to a verticalposition but will be simply moved:upwardly approximately 45 degrees.from which it will be apparent that the trip rail would in no wayinterfere with any of the hanging parts of the train while the latter ispassing. 4

From the foregoing description taken in connectionwith the accompanyingdrawings. the advantages ot' construction and the method ofoperationwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which theinvention relates and while l have described the principle ot' operationot the invention, together with the device which l now consider to bethe best embodiment. thereof, I desire to have it understood that. suchchanges in construction and arrangement ot' parts may be made Yitdesired as are within the scope ot the appended claims.

1. An automaticl train control device comprising throttle valveyactuating mechanism. air vbrake valve actuating mechanism. meansconnecting said mechanisms for simultaneous operation, a fluid pressurecylinder. a track operated trip carlving at its upper end an intakevalve for said cylinder, and means connecting said cylinder with theactuating mechanisms t'or the throttle and air brake valves. 2. Anautomatic train control device comprising throttle valve actuatingmechanism, air brake alve actuating mechanism, means connecting saidmechanisms for `simultane- Vons operation, a fiuid pressure cylinder, a

track operated trip provided with an intake' valve for said cylinder.means connecting saidcvlinder with the actuating mechanisms torthethrottle and air brake valves, ten sion means mounted to normally closesaid valve, a latch adapted to retain said valvev in open position. andmeans actuated from the piston ot' the fiuid pressure c vlindcr t'or n-said cylinder with the aituating mechanisms for the throttle and airbrake valves. tension means mounted to normally close said valve, alatch adapted to retain s'aid valve in open position. andl artidactuated by the piston ot' said c vlinder and provided with a cam torelease said latch.

#hln an automatic train control device. engine carried mechanismcoml'irising a fluid pressure cylinder having an inlet and outlet portadjacent its opposittl ends. means for establishing communicationbetween 'said cylinder and the engine boiler. a controlling valve torsaid inlet port. means for opening said valve. means for retaining saidvalve in open position. a piston rod disposed through said (luid cvlindcr. and means connected to said piston rod adapted to release saidvalve holding means when the pistou rod has reached the limit of itsIforward movement.y

5. ln an automatic train control device. engine carried mechanismcomprising a fluidv pressure c vlinder having an inlet and out-- letport. means t'or establishing communication between said cvlinder andthe engine boiler` a valve for controlling communication between theengine boiler and said c vlinder, a piston arranged within said fluidcylinder, means for opening and closing' said valve to actuatf` saidpiston in one direction` and a chro'.ir lever actuating bar connected tosaid pister and adapted to release and close the engine throttle valvelever wnen said pistonl is actuated in one direction.

ln an automatic txain control device` engine carried mechanism'oiuprising a fluid pressure cylinder having aa inlet and outlet port,means for establishing c-:nnmunication between said cylinder and theengine boiler',

" rod for retaining said valve in closed posiacontrolling valvefor Asaidinletpori, means for automatically opening said valve, means forautomatically retaining said valve in valve holdin reached the limit vofitsA active stroke.

,open position, a piston .Within said fluid cylinder, and meansconnected to said piston and adapted to automatically release said'means when the piston: has

f 7. In an automatic train control device,

16S-engine carried mechanism consisting of a Huid cylinder having aninlet and outlet port, means for establishing communication between saidinlet port and the engine boiler, a controllin valve for saidy inletport, a piston arrange Within said fluid c linder, a pistonrodprojecting from said uid cylinder,

'. means for automatically opening said'controlling valve, means forautomatically holding said controlling valve in open position, meansconnected to said piston rod and adaptedto automatically release saidholding means when thefpiston has reached the limit of its activestroke, and means for releasing-the air lock betwecnthe piston and theend of the fluid cylinder; v

8. In an Yautomatic train control device, throttle valfe actuatingmechanism, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston connected to actuatesaidv mechanism, an intake valve for said cylinder having an extendeddepending A rod, a track actuated lever for reciprocating said rod, atension spring .mounted upon the rod for retaining said valve in closedposition, a shoulder upon said valve, a pivoted latchmounted to engagesaid shoulder, and means for automatically releasing said latch in themovement of the piston within the cylinder.

9. In an automatic train control device, throttle valve actuatingvmechanism, aI fluid pressure cylinder and piston connected to actuatesaid mechanism, an intake valve for said cylinder having an extendeddepending rod, a track actuated lever for reciprocating said rod, atension spring mounted upon the .rod for retaining said valve in closedposition, a shoulder upon said valve, a pivoted latch mounted to engagesaidishoulder, a rod carried by the piston rod from said cylinder,

said rod for actuating said valve in its travel.

11. In an automatic train control device,

throttle valve actuating mechanism,l a fluid pressure cylinder and piston connected to actuate said mechanism, an Iintake valvefor saidcylinder having an extendeddepending. rod, a track actuated lever forreciprocating said rod, a tension spring mounted upon the rod forretaining said valve in closed position, a shoulder upon said valve, apivoted latch mounted to engage said shoulder, a rod carried by thepiston rod from said cylinder, a cam lvdisposed upon said rod to releasesaid latch, a release valve connected with the inlet end of saidcylinder, a leveru extended from said release valve, and ins carried bysaid rod at opposite sides o said lever to engage the same in the travelof the rod.

12; In an automatic train control device,

pressure cylinder and piston connected to operate said mechanism, anintake valve for -controlling said cylinder, a depending trip rod fromsaid valve provided with a sto at its lower end, a bell-crank triplever, an an arm from said lever having means to engage4 the uppersurface of seid sto to permit-reverse action..` of the trip wit outactuating vsaid rod.

13. In an automatic traincontrol device, throttle valve mechanism, alever mounted to engage and actna'te said mechanism, a fiuid pressurecylinder, a piston therein having its rod connected with one end of seidlever, an air brake controlling mechanism,

and a crank arm disposedin the path of said lever and connected to saidair brake mechamsm. i

14. In an automatic train control device,

ico

fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therehaving its rod connected with oneend of said lever, an air brake controllin mechanism, a pvoted crankhaving oppositel disposed arms one of which is located in t e path oftravel of said lever, an actuating lever for said brake controllingmechanism, and a link extended from the opposite crank arm and providedwith a slotted. connection-with the air brake actuatin lever.

In testimony w ereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Isaac W. HED'GES.

Witnesses:

J. B. McKAr,

E. Lonen MILLER.

